Fluid distributing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for distributing fluid from a source thereof in predetermined volume to each of a plurality of fluid operated mechanisms comprises a body having a plenum chamber into which the fluid is admitted and from which the fluid passes into any one of a number of separate compartments in each of which is a rotary metering device operable in response to the admission of fluid thereto to enable a measured amount of fluid to be discharged therefrom. Valves are provided for selectively enabling or disabling the admission of fluid to any one or more of the compartments and adjustment of a valve to disable the admission of fluid to any compartment automatically effects disablement of the associated metering device.

United States Patent I 72] 1 lnventor Edward S. Kontranowski Bay City,Mich. [21] Appl. No. 13,330 [22] Filed Feb. 24, 1970 [4S] Patented Aug.14, 1971 [73] Assignee Aerospace America, Inc.

Bay City, Mich.

[541 FLUID DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS 13 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 137/99, l37/625.l6 [51] Int. Cl. ....G05d 11/00 [50] FieldSearch 137/99, .5, 625.16

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,949,924 8/1960 Cochran137/99 3,495,610 2/1970 Van Aken FOREIGN PATENTS 608,831 11/1960 Canada137/99 Primary Examiner-Laverne D. Geiger Assistant Examiner-David J.Zobkiw Attorney-Learman, Learman and McCulloch ABSTRACT: Apparatus fordistributing fluid from a source thereof in predetennined volume to eachof a plurality of fluid operated mechanisms comprises a body having aplenum chamber into which the fluid is admitted and from which the fluidpasses into any one of a number of separate compartments in each ofwhich is a rotary metering device operable in response to the admissionof fluid thereto to enable a measured amount of fluid to be dischargedtherefrom. Valves are PATENTED AUG24IB7| SL601. 139

sum 1 OF 3 INVENTOR. EDWARD S. KONTRANOWSKI PATENTED A0824 IS?! SHEET 2UF 3 I NVENTOR.

EDWARD S. KONTRANOWS Kl PATENIEB AUB24 ism EDWARD S. KONTRANOWSKI FLUIDDISTRIBUTING APPARATUS The invention disclosed herein relates to fluiddistributing apparatus and more particularly to a multicompartmenthousing adapted to receive pressure fluid from a pump or the like and todischarge fluid from any selected number of the compartments inpredetermined quantities. Apparatus constructed in accordance with theinvention is especially adapted for use with hydraulic drivingmechanisms each of which is capable of being operated independently ofor in conjunction with any of the others.

The prior art includes many disclosures of vehicles adapted for use bothon and off highways and includes many kinds of different wheel drivingmechanisms for such vehicles. For best results, the operator of thevehicle should be able to vary the number of wheels to which drivingforce is applied so as to enable the vehicle to be adapted to theterrain over which it is driven. Thus, it sometimes is desirable todrive all four wheels of a vehicle, whereas in other instances it may bemore desirable to drive only two or even one of the wheels. In vehiclesof the kind intended to be driven on surfaces other than roads andhighways, it is desirable that each wheel be capable of being drivenindependently of the others so as to enable the vehicle to be propelledeven though only one of the wheels can obtain traction. Although such aresult can be achieved by providing completely independent driving anddrive transmitting apparatus for each of the vehicles wheels, such anarrangement is expensive due to the multiplication of parts required.Another disadvantage of such an arrangement is that synchronization ofthe driving speeds of the several wheels is difficult to maintain.

Hydraulic drive mechanisms for vehicles have been proposed heretoforebut hydraulic systems have characteristics which have rendered themunsuitable for use unless each driving wheel is provided with completelyindependent driving mechanism. The principal disadvantageouscharacteristic of hydraulic drive mechanisms is that the hydraulic fluidfollows the path of least resistance. Thus, if a multiple wheelhydraulic drive system is provided, a wheel which has less traction thananother will absorb all of the driving force, thereby resulting indisablement of the vehicle if one of the driving wheels is unable toobtain traction.

An object of this invention is to provide fluid distributing apparatusfor a multiple-wheel driving mechanism for vehicles and other purposesand which overcomes the disadvantages of previously known mechanismsdesigned for similar uses.

Another object of the invention is to provide pressure fluiddistributing apparatus for pressure fluid drive mechanisms of the kindreferred to and which is capable of providing driving power to allmechanisms regardless of the load to which they are subjected.

A further object of the invention is to providefluid driving apparatusfor a multiple wheel vehicle and which is capable of providing drivingpower to any one or more of the wheels.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed outspecifically or will become apparent from the following description whenit is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a closed hydraulic system incorporatingapparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of distributing apparatus constructedin accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, on a reduced scale, taken on the line 5-5 ofFIG. 3.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention is adapted foruse in conjunction with a vehicle driving system having either aninternal combustion engine or an electric motor 1 that is coupled to anddrives a fluid pump 2 which is adapted to pump fluid from a reservoir 3to distributing apparatus 4 from which the fluid may pass to hydraulicmotors 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 from which the fluid returns to the reservoir 3.The hydraulic motors 5-9 may be of any one of a number of commerciallyavailable motors and four of them may be mounted in such manner as todrive each of the four wheels of a vehicle in a manner such as thatdisclosed in copending application Ser. No. 801,254, filed Feb. 24,1969, and owned by the assignee of this application. The fifth drivingmotor, such as the motor 7, may form part of a power takeolf unitassociated with the vehicle.

The distributing apparatus 4 comprises a body or housing 10 having endcaps 11 and 12 at its opposite ends. Formed in the body 10 is anelongated chamber 13 which communicates at one end with a port 14 thatis adapted to accommodate one end of a fluid conduit 15, the oppositeend of which is coupled to the discharge side of the pump 2. Rotatablyfitted into the chamber 13 is a sleeve valve 16 having a plurality ofports, some of which are shown at 17 in FIGS. 3 and 5. That end of thevalve 16 which is adjacent the end wall 11 is secured to a disc 18carried at one end of a shaft 19 which passes through an opening 20formed in the end wall 11. A seal 21 is fitted between the shaft 19 anda counterbore 22 in the wall 11.

The body 10 is provided with an axial bore 25 within which is mounted aplurality of separators or discs 26 that are fixed in axially spacedposition by pins 27 so as to divide the bore into a plurality of equalsize compartments 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32. Seals 33 are interposed betweeneach separator 26 and the wall of the bore 25. An inlet passage 24establishes communication between the chamber 13 and each of thecompartments.

Rotatably mounted in each compartment is an identical metering device 34comprising an annular, disclike body 35 of smaller diameter than that ofthe bore 25 and provided with a plurality of radially extending slots 36in each of which is a radially movable metering vane 37. The radialdepth of the slots 36 is greater than the corresponding length of thevanes 37 so as to permit movement of the vanes inwardly and outwardly ofthe slots and each vane is urged radially outwardly by a spring 38. Eachdisc 35 fits snugly, but rotatably, within its associated compartmentand the width of each vane corresponds to the width of the associateddisc.

Each of the meter discs 35 has a central opening 39 which is axiallysplined to provide a plurality of teeth 40. Each of the separatormembers 26 also is provided with an opening 41, but the openings 41 areeccentric and have smooth bores. Extending through the openings in theseparators and the meter discs is a shaft 42, one end 43 of which isjournaled in a bearing 44 and projects into a socket 45 formed in theend wall 12. The opposite end 46 of the shaft 42 is journaled inbearings 47 and projects through an opening 48 in the end wall 11. Asea] 49 surrounds the shaft 42 outboard of the bearings 47.

Means is provided for selectively coupling and uncoupling the meterdiscs 35 to and from the shaft 42 and comprises a plurality of axiallyspaced enlargements 50 on the shaft 42, each of the enlargements havingspline teeth 51 thereon which are adapted to be engaged with anddisengaged from the teeth 40 formed on the discs 35. The spacing andaxial lengths of the splined enlargements 50 are such as to enableselected ones of the discs 35 to be coupled to and uncoupled from theshaft 42 in response to axial adjustment of the latter.

Operating means 52 is provided for simultaneously adjusting the valve 16and the shaft 42 and comprises a lever 53 which is pinned as at 54 tothe valve shaft 19 and which carries a sector-shaped flange 55terminating at its free end in a cam 56 that is accommodated in anendless groove 57 formed in a cam follower 58 that is pinned as at 59 tothe end 49 of the shaft 42. The arrangement is such that rotary movementof the lever 53 imparts simultaneous rotation to the valve 16 and axialshifting of the shaft 42. Such rotation of the valve 16 will registerselected ones of the ports 17 with the inlets 24 leading into thecompartments 28-32, and will effect driving engagement of the spines 50with the spline teeth of those discs 35 which occupy the compartmentsinto which fluid may be delivered from the valve 16. A pin 60 is carriedby the lever 53 and is adapted to be fitted into any one of a number ofopenings 60a so as to fix the operating means 52 in any selectedposition of adjustment.

Each of the compartments 2832 has an outlet passage 61 the inner end ofwhich communicates with the bore 25 and the outer end of which isadapted to receive a conduit which leads to one of the hydraulic motors-9. Each outlet 61 has associated with it an arcuate groove 62 formed inthe fore 25, and a similar arcuate groove 63 is associated with each ofthe inlets 24. Each of the hydraulic motors 5-9 is coupled to a fluidconduit for delivering fluid from the associated motor to the reservoir3.

When the parts of the apparatus are in the positions shown in thedrawings, the ports 17 at opposite ends of the valve 16 register withthe inlets 24 leading into the two end compartments 28 and 32, but thevalve 16 closes the inlets of the remaining compartments. The shaft 42is in such position that the splined enlargements 50 adjacent oppositeends of the shaft are in mesh with the spline teeth 40 of the meteringdiscs 35 in the two compartments 28 and 32, but the remaining splinedenlargements are free from their associated discs. In these positions ofthe valve 16 and the shaft 42, operation of the motor 1 in such manneras to drive the pump 2 will cause fluid to be delivered from thereservoir 3 into the valve 16 which will become filled with fluid so asto function as a plenum chamber. Fluid may pass from the interior of thevalve 16 into either of the compartments 28 or 32, but no fluid will beadmitted to the other compartments because their inlets are sealed bythe valve 16.

Although each disc 35 is rotatable about its center, it is eccentricwith respect to the bore 25. Each of the vanes 37, however, is urged byits associated spring 38 into engagement with the surface of the bore.The arrangement is such that a generally wedge-shaped, arcuate space orchamber 64 (see FIG. 5) is defined between each disc 35 and the wall ofthe bore 25 and into which fluid from the associated inlet 24 passes.The arcuate length of the chamber 64 is constant and is defined by twoadjacent vanes 37, but the volume of the chamber constantly varies asthe disc rotates.

Fluid admitted to the chamber 64 from the inlet 24 exerts a force on thevane 37 at the larger end of the chamber 64 so as to impart rotation tothe disc 35. Rotation of the disc 35 at either end of the body will betransmitted via the shaft 42 to the other disc 35 so as to drive thelatter in the same direction and at the same speed.

As either disc 35 rotates, the volume of the associated chamber 64initially will expand, thereby enabling additional fluid to beaccommodated therein, and subsequently the volume will contract. Thegroove 63 permits additional fluid to be delivered to the chamber 64 soas to prevent cavitation. Fluid in the chamber 64 will be propelled bythe vanes 37 toward the outlet 61, the groove 62 serving to prevent thebuilding of excessive pressure due to contraction of the chamber 64.

Fluid discharged from the compartment 32 will drive the hydraulic motor9 and fluid discharged from the compartment 28 will drive the fluidmotor 5. Since the disc 35 in the compartment 32 rotates, and since bothcompartments are of the same size and are in communication with theplenum chamber formed by the valve 16, the amount of fluid dischargedfrom the compartment 28 will be the same as that discharged from thechamber 32. Consequently, the fluid motor 5 will be driven at the samespeed as that of the motor 9. This result is assured, even though theload on the motor 9 may be much less than that on the motor 5, inasmuchas rotation of the disc in the compartment 28 will cause a low pressureto exist at the inlet 24 .each time a vane passes the inlet.

If the motors 5 and 9 are drivingly connected to the rear wheels of avehicle and should only one of such wheels have traction, the lack oftraction of the other wheel will have no effeet on the wheel withtraction, inasmuch as its driving motor will effect driving rotation ofthat wheel without regard to the freedom of the other wheel to slip.

If the lever 53 is rotated counterclockwise from the position shown inFIG. 2 to a position in which all five of the ports 17 register withtheir associated inlets 60, the shaft 42 will be shifted to the left soas to engage the splined enlargements 50 with the spline teeth of allfive of the discs 35, whereupon fluid will be delivered from the plenumchamber formed by the valve 16 through all of the compartments 28-32 soas to drive all of the motors 5-9. In each instance, each of the discs35 will be driven at a uniform rate of speed, thereby enabling thequantity of fluid discharged from the respective compartments to beuniform.

The number and arrangement of the ports 17 in the valve 16 and thearrangement of the splined enlargements 50 are such as to permit any oneor more of the metering devices 34 to be operated either to theexclusion of or in conjunction with the others.

Although each of the compartments 28-32 is illustrated as being of thesame size so as to enable equal quantities of fluid to be dischargedtherefrom, it will be understood that the sizes of the compartments mayvary so as to enable the quantity of fluid discharged from onecompartment to be greater or less than the quantity of fluid dischargedfrom any other compartment.

The disclosed embodiment is representative of a presently preferred formof the invention, but is intended to be illustrative rather thandefinitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. Fluid distributing apparatus comprising means forming a plurality ofseparate compartments each of which has a fluid inlet and a fluidoutlet; means for admitting fluid from a source thereof to each of saidinlets; rotary means in each of said compartments rotatable in responseto the admission of fluid thereto; metering means carried by each ofsaid rotary means and responsive to the speed of rotation thereof toregulate the quantity of fluid discharged from said compartments viatheir associated outlets; means for coupling the rotary means ofselected compartments for conjoint rotation at the same speed; valvemeans interposed between said source and each of said inlets; and meansfor operating said valve means for selectively enabling and disablingfluid transfer from said source to a selected number of said inlets.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said admitting meanscomprises a plenum chamber between said source and said inlets.

3. Fluid distributing apparatus comprising a body having therein aplurality of separate compartments each of which has a fluid inlet and afluid outlet; valve means for selectively enabling and disabling theadmission of fluid from a source thereof to a selected number of saidcompartments via their inlets; independent metering means in each ofsaid compartments operable in response to the admission of fluid theretofor discharging a metered quantity of fluid from each of saidcompartments through its associated outlet; and means for coupling themetering means of said selected number of compartments for conjointoperation whereby the quantity of fluid discharged from any one of saidselected compartments has a predetermined relation to the quantity offluid discharged from any other of said selected number of compartments.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said compartmentsis of the same size.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said coupling meansincludes a shaft extending through each of said compartments, drivingmeans on said shaft, and driven means on said metering means in drivingengagement with said driving means.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said coupling meansincludes means for shifting said shaft to effect selective engagementand disengagement of said driving means and said driven means.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 including control means forcontrolling said valve means, and means coupling said control means andsaid shifting means for conjoint operation.

8. Fluid distribution apparatus comprising a body having a plurality ofseparate compartments therein, each of said compartments having an inletand an outlet; manipulatable valve means for admitting fluid from asource thereof to any selected number of said compartments via theassociated in lets; means in each of said compartments operable to meterthe flow of fluid therethrough from its associated inlet to itsassociated outlet; and coupling means responsive to operation of themeter means in any one of said-compartments to operate the meter meansin the remainder of said selected number of compartments whereby thevolume of fluid discharged from each of said compartments is directlyrelated to the volume of fluid discharged from said one of saidcompartments, said coupling means comprising a shaft having drivingmeans thereon, said shaft being axially movable into and out of drivingengagement with selected ones of said meter means.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 including means operable tomanipulate said valve means and to move said shaft simultaneously.

l0. Fluid distributing apparatus comprising a body having a plurality ofseparate compartments therein each of which has a fluid inlet and afluid outlet; means for delivering fluid from a source thereof to eachof said compartments via their associated inlets; rotary metering meansin each of said compartments and operable in response to the admissionof fluid thereto to regulate the quantity of fluid discharged therefromvia their associated outlets; and means for selectively coupling anduncoupling a selected number of said metering means for conjointrotation of the coupled metering means 11. The apparatus set forth inclaim 10 wherein said fluid delivering means includes a plenum chamberin said body.

12. The apparatus set forth in claim 11 including manipulatable valvemeans in said plenum chamber operable to enable and disable theadmission of fluid to a selected number of said inlets 13. The apparatusset forth in claim 10 wherein said coupling and uncoupling meanscomprises a shaft having a number of driving members thereoncorresponding to the number of said metering means, said shaft beingaxially movable relatively to said metering means to connect anddisconnect said driving members with the respective metering means.

1. Fluid distributing apparatus comprising means forming a plurality ofseparate compartments each of which has a fluid inlet and a fluidoutlet; means for admitting fluid from a source thereof to each of saidinlets; rotary means in each of said compartments rotatable in responseto the admission of fluid thereto; metering means carried by each ofsaid rotary means and responsive to the speed of rotation thereof toregulate the quantity of fluid discharged from said compartments viatheir associated outlets; means for coupling the rotary means ofselected compartments for conjoint rotation at the samE speed; valvemeans interposed between said source and each of said inlets; and meansfor operating said valve means for selectively enabling and disablingfluid transfer from said source to a selected number of said inlets. 2.Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said admitting means comprisesa plenum chamber between said source and said inlets.
 3. Fluiddistributing apparatus comprising a body having therein a plurality ofseparate compartments each of which has a fluid inlet and a fluidoutlet; valve means for selectively enabling and disabling the admissionof fluid from a source thereof to a selected number of said compartmentsvia their inlets; independent metering means in each of saidcompartments operable in response to the admission of fluid thereto fordischarging a metered quantity of fluid from each of said compartmentsthrough its associated outlet; and means for coupling the metering meansof said selected number of compartments for conjoint operation wherebythe quantity of fluid discharged from any one of said selectedcompartments has a predetermined relation to the quantity of fluiddischarged from any other of said selected number of compartments. 4.Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said compartments isof the same size.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein saidcoupling means includes a shaft extending through each of saidcompartments, driving means on said shaft, and driven means on saidmetering means in driving engagement with said driving means. 6.Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said coupling means includesmeans for shifting said shaft to effect selective engagement anddisengagement of said driving means and said driven means.
 7. Apparatusas set forth in claim 6 including control means for controlling saidvalve means, and means coupling said control means and said shiftingmeans for conjoint operation.
 8. Fluid distribution apparatus comprisinga body having a plurality of separate compartments therein, each of saidcompartments having an inlet and an outlet; manipulatable valve meansfor admitting fluid from a source thereof to any selected number of saidcompartments via the associated inlets; means in each of saidcompartments operable to meter the flow of fluid therethrough from itsassociated inlet to its associated outlet; and coupling means responsiveto operation of the meter means in any one of said compartments tooperate the meter means in the remainder of said selected number ofcompartments whereby the volume of fluid discharged from each of saidcompartments is directly related to the volume of fluid discharged fromsaid one of said compartments, said coupling means comprising a shafthaving driving means thereon, said shaft being axially movable into andout of driving engagement with selected ones of said meter means. 9.Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 including means operable to manipulatesaid valve means and to move said shaft simultaneously.
 10. Fluiddistributing apparatus comprising a body having a plurality of separatecompartments therein each of which has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;means for delivering fluid from a source thereof to each of saidcompartments via their associated inlets; rotary metering means in eachof said compartments and operable in response to the admission of fluidthereto to regulate the quantity of fluid discharged therefrom via theirassociated outlets; and means for selectively coupling and uncoupling aselected number of said metering means for conjoint rotation of thecoupled metering means.
 11. The apparatus set forth in claim 10 whereinsaid fluid delivering means includes a plenum chamber in said body. 12.The apparatus set forth in claim 11 including manipulatable valve meansin said plenum chamber operable to enable and disable the admission offluid to a selected number of said inlets.
 13. The apparatus set forthin claim 10 wherein said coupling and uncoupling means comprises a shafthaving a number Of driving members thereon corresponding to the numberof said metering means, said shaft being axially movable relatively tosaid metering means to connect and disconnect said driving members withthe respective metering means.